Improvement in fence-posts



G. SWENSON.

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N: PEIERS. FHOTD-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C

UNITED- STATES PATENT. OEEIcE.

GUSTAF SWENSON, OF BATAVIA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCE-POSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 215,490., dated May20, 1879; application filed February 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUST-AF SwENsoN, of Batavia, in the county of Kaneand State of Illinois, have invented'certain Improvements inFence-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a metallic fencepost, particularly adapted tobe used in the construction of wire-fence, the object sought being astructure which can be easily driven into the ground, to enable therapid building of the fence, and which will sustain the wires properly,will be strong anddurable, and at the same time easily manufactured andoperated.

The nature of the invention will be understood froin the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective View of thedevice as a whole 5 and Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lower part,detached.

This post is made entirely of metal, and is of aform to be convenientlycast. The upper portion, which receives the wires, I prefer. to make ofthe form shown in the drawings-namely, triangular in cross-section withprojecting ribs, through two of which are drilled the holes for thepassage of the fencewireas this forms a light, strong, convenient, andeasily-manufactured structure. However, this particular form may bevaried in the judgment of the manufacturer, and is by no means anessential part of my invention.

In like manner, I prefer to make the lower portion, which is driven intothe ground, also of a triangular web, for sake of lightness, strength,&c. This lower portion is pointed or conical, to readily drive into theground.

The upper and lower portions are separable, so that the piece formingthe lower portion may be readily driven-into the ground, and thenafterward the piece forming the other portion is applied to the lowerpart by means of a dovetail joint, now to be described. From the top ofthe ground piece rises a web or projection, at, having at its upper endan enlarged head,b,madepreferablyslightlyconical,orlargor at one endthan the other, as indicated in the drawings. A cavity of a form toreceive this dovetail web and its head is cut in the lower end of theupper part of the fence-post. In the web a, at one side, is a hole, 0',to receive a pin, d, which is inserted, as shown at Fig. 1, after thetwo parts are connected together, serving as a lock to prevent theseparation of the parts in one direction, while the conical shape of thehead b prevents their separation in the other direction.

It may be remarked, also, that the lower end of the upper part of thepost and the upper end of the lower part are made inclined slightly, toaid in the locking action, in conjunction with the tapering head.

The result of this structure is that the two parts may be readily joinedtogether like a dovetail, and locked by the pin d.

In driving the lower piece into the ground the blows of the mallet willbe received upon the enlargement or head Z).

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy 1. Themetallic fence-post consisting of two parts, one part adapted to bedriven into the ground and the other part adapted to receive and sustainthe fence, the two parts being united by a dovetail joint, substantiallyas specified.

2. The metallic fence-post made in two parts, united by a dovetailjoint, the tongue or tenon of which is formed upon the lower part orpiece, and is formed with an enlarged head to receive the blows of themallet in driving, substantially as specified.

GUSTAF SWENSON. Witnesses:

E. F. STAFFORD, J. 0. McOLEL AN.

